Knee-board



Oct. 29, 1968 L. A. WARNER KNEE-BOARD Filed Aug 50. 1967 INVENTOR. LOU/SA. WARNER ATTYS United States Patent M ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aknee-board having a number of resilient preferably rubber straps havinga plurality of fastening apertures therein afiixed to it in spacedrelation along one of its sides. One of the straps is adapted to besecured about the thigh and to the opposite side of the knee-board, byextending a fastening pin through one of the fastening apertures formedin the strap. In this fashion, the kneeboard can be secured to the leg,about the thigh, as tightly as desired, simply by extending thefastening pin through an appropriate one of the fastening apertures. Theother ones of the straps are adapted to stretch across the top of thekneeboard, to fasten papers, charts, computers and the like beneaththem, against the top surface thereof. These straps are drawn tight andaffixed to the other side of the knee-board, by extending fastening pinsthrough one of said fastening apertures formed therein.

A computer mounting board also can be affixed to the knee-board, as ahinged cover, if desired, for retaining a computer thereon, forone-handed operation.

This invention relates, in general, to clipboards and, in particular, toso-called knee-boards which are adapted for use by aircraft personnelsuch as pilots and/or co-pilots while flying.

The term knee-board refers to that special class of clipboards which isadapted to be affixed to the thigh of one of the personnel in anaircraft, such as the pilot or copilot, and which is adapted to hold andsupport papers, approach charts, and the like, for use by them.Presently, there are many knee-boards available, however, they aregenerally unsatisfactory, for one reason or another.

For example, many of these knee-boards have a belt type strap withbuckle which is adjustable to aflix the knee-board to a persons thigh.These straps are initially adjusted to fit a particular person, andgenerally therefore, must be re-adjustable to adapt it to fit anotherpersons thigh. While this feature is not particularly unde sirable, itis inconvenient since it generally requires time to make the necessaryadjustments. It is further found that these straps require constantre-adjustment to keep the straps tight so that the knee-board issecurely, fixedly held in position on the thigh.

Resilient pads usually are affixed to the underside of the knee-boards,for cushioning them on the thigh. The pads on many of these knee-boardsare adhesively affixed thereon and, after the knee-boards have been usedfor a period of time, the pads become loosened and fall off. This, ofcourse, is objectionable, for the knee-boards must be repaired each timeit happens. Many times the user is not aware of the fact that the padhas fallen off, or uses the knee-board even though it has, because hedoes not have time to repair it. Those who have used the kneeboardsafter the pads have fallen off usually discover, much to theirdispleasure, that some of the adhesive used to afiix the pads to theknee-board sticks to the trousers when the knee-board is removed. It isalso generally found that the pads satisfactorily cushion the knee-boardon the thigh, however, the pads remove the crease in the trousers and/orcreate wrinkles in them. Businessmen who fly their own aircraft findthis extremely objectionable since their suit trousers usually requirepressing when the businessmen arrive at their destination.

3,407,757 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 Others of the available knee-boards aredesigned for use by military aircraft personnel and have numerousfeatures such as variable lighting or illuminating systems which theaverage private pilot does not need or use. These knee-boards aretherefore of a relatively complex construction and, accordingly, costmore than the private pilot cares to pay for them, for the limitedapplication he has of these features.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved clipboards,particularly of the so-called kneeboard type, which are used by aircraftpersonnel to hold papers, charts and the like, while flying.

It is another object to provide knee-boards having a constructionparticularly suited for use by the average private pilots, such asstudents, businessmen and the like.

Another object is to provide improved knee-boards having a relativelysimple construction in comparison to those presently available.

Still another object is to provide improved knee-boards having means forremovably aifixing them to the thigh which is easily adaptable to fitany size thigh.

A still further object is to provide improved kneeboards having meansfor easily and quickly removably affixing a supply of paper or the liketo the knee-board.

A still further object is to provide improved kneeboards, having meanswhereby a navigational computer can be easily and quickly removablyaffixed to the kneeboard, for one-handed operation.

Still another object is to provide improved knee-boards having aconstruction so as to substantially reduce the tendency of theknee-boards to crease or wrinkle trousers.

The above objectives are provided by a knee-board having a number ofresilient preferably rubber straps having a plurality of fasteningapertures therein affixed to it in spaced relation along one of itssides. One of the straps is adapted to be secured about the thigh and tothe opposite side of the knee-board, by extending a fastening pinthrough one of the fastening apertures formed in the strap. In thisfashion, the knee-board can be secured to the leg, about the thigh, astightly as desired, simply by extending the fastening pin through anappropriate one of the fastening apertures. The other ones of the strapsare adapted to stretch across the top of the knee-board,

t to fasten papers, charts, computers and the like beneath them, againstthe top surface thereof. These straps are drawn tight and affixed to theother side of the kneeboard, by extending fastening pins through one ofsaid fastening apertures formed therein.

A computer mounting board also can be affixed to the knee'board, as ahinged cover, if desired, for retaining a computer thereon, forone-handed operation.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessingthe features, properties and the relation of elements which will beexemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of theinvention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a knee-board exemplary of the invention;t

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the knee-board, further illustrating anavigational computer removably atfixed to it; and

FIG. 3 is an end plan view of the computer, with a pad of paper affixedto it.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a kneeboard 10 which isgenerally rectangular-shaped, having 3 a top wall 12 which preferably isa flat surface and a bottom wall 14 which is contoured, with a concavecurvature, so as to substantially conform to the shape of a persons leg,or more particularly, his thigh.

The knee-board can be formed in several different fashions. For example,a sheet of material such as aluminum or other lightweight metal, orplastic such as rigid polyethylene and the like, can be formed toprovide a frame 16 having a top wall which forms the top wall 12 of theknee-board and a pair of spaced side walls 18 and 20. A resilient pad 22preferably of polystyrene or other similar lightweight material havinginsulative qualities so as to transfer little, if any, body heat, isaffixed within the frame 16. This preferably is accomplished usingsuitable fastening means such as rivets, or by applying an adhesive tothe pad and folding the ends of the side walls 18 and 20 inwardly,parallel to the top wall 12, so as to form a pair of flanges 21 Whichcooperate with the adhesive to support and retain the pad 22 within theframe. When the pad 22 is aflixed within the frame 16 in this fashion,there is little likelihood that it will become loose and fall out sothat the above-mentioned objectionable features of the availableknee-boards are eliminated.

Alternatively, the knee-board can be formed as an integral unit,preferably of plastic so that it can be easily molded having a similarlyshaped structure. In this latter case, the interior of the knee-boardpreferably is hollow so that the knee-board is lightweight.

A knee-board 10 formed in the first described and illustrated manner,with a pad 22 of polystyrene aflixed Within the frame 16, is preferredsince it can be easily and inexpensively fabricated. Furthermore, thepolystyrene pad 22 will cause little if any, perspiration to occurbetween a persons thigh and the knee-board 10 when the latter is aflixedto the thigh, so that there is far less tendency for the knee-board tocrease or wrinkle a per sons trousers. At least one and preferably anumber of air slots or grooves 24 which can be V-shaped, as illustrated,are formed in the pad 22, extending longitudinally along its entirelength. These air grooves further reduce the tendency for a personsthigh to perspire when the knee-board is affixed to it, by permittingair to circulate between the thigh and the knee-board. If only one airgroove 24 is used, it preferably is of substantial size and is centrallypositioned, so that it generally bridges the crease in trousers andthereby lessens the tendency to wrinkle or remove the crease.

An elastic leg strap 26 preferably rubber has one of its ends affixed tothe side wall 18 of the frame 16, centrally of the knee-board 10. Theside wall 18 can have a generally rectangular-shaped pocket 28 formedtherein, for receiving the end of the leg strap 26. The leg strap can befixedly secured therein, by an suitable fastening means, such as rivets.

A lock pin 30 is affixed to the side wall 20 of the frame 16, and theleg strap 26 has a number of spaced lock pin apertures 32 in itsopposite end, each of which is adapted to receive the lock pin therein.The leg strap 26 is adapted to extend beneath the knee-board 10 and isof sufiicient length to extend about a persons thigh and to receive thelock pin 30 in one of the lock pin apertures 32. A suflicient number ofapertures 32 is provided so that the knee-board 10 can be securelyaffixed to any thigh, simply by stretching the leg strap 26 andextending the lock pin 30 through an appropriate one of the lock pinapertures 32. Accordingly, this construction eliminates theobjectionable feature of the belt-type straps. Additional leg straps 26can be provided, if desired.

A pair of elastic clamp-down straps 34 which can be of the same materialand construction as the leg strap 26 each have one of their ends fixedlysecured in spaced relation to the side wall 18 of the frame 16. Pockets36 also can be formed in the side wall 18, for receiving and securingthe ends of the clamp-down straps therein. Lock pins 38 are afiixed tothe side wall 20, and the clamp-down 4% straps 34 each have a number ofspaced lock pin apertures 40 in their free ends.

The clamp-down straps 34 are adapted to extend across the top wall 12 ofthe frame 16, and to receive the lock pins 38 within one of the lockingpin apertures therein. This arrangement permits objects such as thepapers 42 to be easily clamped atop the knee-board 10, by stretching theclamp-down straps 34 over them and extending the lock pins 38 through anappropriate one of the lock pin apertures 40, as illustrated in FIGS. 1and 3. It can be seen that the clamp-down straps 34 provide numerousadvantages which are not provided by available knee-boards, particularlythose of the type having spring-loaded clamps thereon, so the clamp-downstraps permit virtually any thickness of paper, charts and the like,and/or other objects having an irregular size and shape to be affixed tothe knee-board 10.

A computer mounting board 50 in the form of a rectangular-shaped flatsheet of rigid material such as metal or plastic, to which anavigational computer can be removably affixed, also is preferablyprovided and aflixed to the knee-board 10, by extending the sameclamp-down straps 34 or other similar clamp-down straps over it. In theillustrated example, the computer mounting board 50 is in the form of arectangular-shaped flat sheet of material such as plastic and has fourmounting pins 51 affixed in spaced relation to it for adapting it tosecurely retain thereon a navigational computer 52 (FIG. 2) of the typedisclosed in a copending United States patent application, Ser. No.631,691, filed Apr. 18, 1967. by Louis A. Warner, now Patent No.3,361,346. The computer 52 has four apertured rivets 54 positionallyspaced therein for securing the two halves of its body portion 56together, so as to cooperatively and slidably receive its slider portion58 between them, as fully explained in said copending application. Themounting pins 51 are positioned to extend through the apertured rivets54, to secure the computer 52 to the computer mounting board 50. Themounting pins 51 can be of the split, resilient type which arecompressible to extend them through an aperture and which will spreadand frictionally engage the edges of the aperture to releasably secureitself therein.

The computer mounting board 50 therefore can be affixed to theknee-board 10, by stretching the clampdown straps 34 over it, and thecomputer 52 thereafter afiixed to the computer mounting board, byextending the mounting pins 51 through the apertured rivets 54. When thecomputer 52 is affixed to the knee-board 10 in this fashion, it can beseen that it is securely and positionally held so that it can be easilyoperated with one hand. This feature is particularly important to theprivate pilot since he generally both flies the aircraft and navigates.Accordingly, he must perform the navi gational tasks while piloting theaircraft and therefore usually has only one free hand to operate thecomputer. In addition, being securely afiixed to the knee-board 10 whichis, in turn, securely aflixed to the pilots thigh, the computer 52 alsois always readily available and is not subject to being lost ormisplaced. Any pilot who has flown in rough weather will appreciate thislatter feature.

The computer mounting board 50 can be adapted to securely support othertypes of navigational computers as well and, further can beadvantageously hingedly aflixed to the knee-board 10, in a cover-likefashion. As can be best seen in FIG. 1, a pair of flexible hinges 60which can be strips of canvas or other similar material are affixed atone end to the side wall 18 of th frame 16. The opposite ends of thehinges are afiixed to the computer mounting board 50. The hinges 60 alsoare of sufiicient length to compensate for the various thicknesses ofmaterial clamped on the knee-board, with the clamp-down straps 34.

With this construction, the computer mounting board 50, with thecomputer 52 attached, can be hingedly opened like a book so that notescan be written on the paper 42 clamped on the knee-board 10.

It can be seen from the above description that the knee-board can beeasily and inexpensively manufactured since it is relatively simple inconstruction and does not have complex illuminating means and the like.The knee-board 10 also is easily clamped to the thigh, simply bystretching the leg strap 26 about the thigh and extending the lock pin30 through an appropriate one of the lock pin apertures 32. Papers,charts, computers and the like, of irregular size and of variousthickness, are likewise easily aflixed to and held upon the kneeboard10, by clamping the clamp-down straps 34 atop them. A computer mountingboard 50 also can be removably aflixed to the knee-board 10 withclamp-down straps or, alternatively, can be permanently hingedly affixedthereto, with flexible hinges 60. The knee-board 10 further has aconstruction which lessens the tendency to crease or wrinkle thetrousers of the party using it.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above article without departingfrom the scope of the invention, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as amatter of langauge, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A knee-board which is adapted for use by aircraft personnel such aspilots, co-pilots and the like, while flying, comprising: a generallyrectangular-shaped body having a top wall, a pair of side Walls and abottom wall; a leg strap lock pin atfixed to one of said side walls; aleg strap having one end thereof fixedly secured to the other one ofsaid side walls, the opposite end of said leg strap having a pluralityof lock pin apertures therein; said knee-board being removably securedto a persons thigh by extending said leg strap about the persons thighand extending said lock pin through an appropriate one of said lockingpin apertures; and clamp means comprising at least one clamp-down strapaflixcd at one of its ends to one of said side walls and having aplurality of clamp-down lock pin apertures formed therein; a clamp-downstrap lock pin affixed to the other one of said side walls; saidclamp-down strap being adapted to extend across the top of saidknee-board to extend said clamp-down strap lock pin through anappropriate one of said clamp-down strap lock pin apertures to removablyclamp papers and the like atop the top wall of said knee-board.

2. A knee-board, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said leg strap and saidclamp-down strap are of rubber.

3. A knee-board, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom wall has atleast one air groove formed therein, centrally positioned and extendinglongitudinally along its length.

4. A knee-board, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body comprises aframe having a top wall and a pair of side walls, and a resilient padsecured within said frame having a bottom wall which is contoured so asto generally correspond to the shape of a persons thigh.

5. A knee-board, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said resilient pad isformed of polystyrene.

6. A knee-board, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ends of said sidewalls of said frame are folded inwardly so as to form flanges disposedbeneath said pad, for assisting in retaining said pad within said frame.

7. A knee-board, as claimed in claim 1, further including a computermounting board which is adapted to support a computer thereon, saidcomputer mounting board being removably affixed to said knee-board byextending said clamp-down strap over the top of it and extending theclamp-down lock pin through an appropriate one of said clamp-down lockpin apertures therein.

8. A knee-board, as claimed in claim 1, further including a computermounting board which is adapted to support a computer thereon, saidcomputer mounting board being hingedly affixed to one of said side wallsto overlie said top wall and the objects clamped thereon in a cover-likefashion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,930,478 10/1933 Jones 10843 XR2,420,673 5/ 1947 Monrad. 2,701,173 2/1955 Senior et a]. 10843 BOBBY R.GAY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner.

